The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 21, 1900, Page 1

‘ The Call, G HESSE D FNCDRER Chinese Director of Te;eqraphs May Have|essororsrorsrorsysrsssyorspoisssysrsssyorsrsroxorsrce(Bolief That It Was Sent at the "Same Withheld the Appeal Until Boxers i3 o N e Time as That From the Japanese Minister and Withheld. Could Mobilize Their Forces. i‘.‘ massacre,”’—Minister Conger’s Plea for Rescue. b‘;‘@!‘;-¥",-¥";~"\»¥ O R T TH TR TR TR T AT AT AT AT AT R TR TR T R Tk kT SPECIAL DISPATCH TO,THE CALL. e [ FP NN ALL HEADQUARTERS. WELLINGTON HOTEL, WASHINGTON, July 20.—A thrill of joy was felt in Washington to-day when the State Department made pubiic a cipher message from Minister Conger announcing that foreigners in Pe- king were still alive but in danger of massacre by the Chinese meb. For a time the knowledge that the legationers were living was regarded as cause for heartfelt thanksgiving, though their peril was such that all might be lost before aid could reach them. This rejoicing may prove to be premature. There is a growing suspicion that the message from Minister Conger was sent on the same date as that from the lapanese Minister—June 29—and that it has been held up by the Chinese Director of Posts until the last possible moment. When the American’Government insisted, through Chinese Minister Wu, that it be allowed to get a dispatch through to Peking, this mes- sage of Conger was released as the reply to the American cablegram. The fact that it bears no date tends to confirm this suspicion. It is altogether likely that the Conger message was vent a week before the date of the reported massacre in Peking. and that in the interim it has heen in the possession of Chinese officials. If this view be correct, it indicates that Sheng, the Chinese Director of Telegraphs, is in league with the Boxers, and that all of the so-called official messages reporting the safety of the legations have been falsehoods concocted to deceive the powers and delay the advance on Peking until the Chinese shall have mobilized their army and been prepared for attack. g e S E Rk e e o o e e e e s ] B N e o e o o R S . gt |[London Officials See in the Conger Message Only : ’ Another Evidence of the Duplicity of the Chinese Authorities and Resolve Not to Be Misled. :ONDON, July 21, 4 a. m.—The Conger dispatch fails to carry conviction to either the British press or public. Its genuine- ness is not disputed, for, as it is pointed out here, the Chinese must possess quite a sheaf of such messages, which the Minis- isters fruitlessly endeavotred to get transmitted, from which they could easily select a non-committal dispatch to serve the required purpose. It is supposed that Mr. Conger omitted to destrdy the cipher code and that this is now in possession of the Chi- nese, in which event the concoction of the dispatch would not be difficult. It is argued that the dispatch, if it were a genuine reply to the inquiry of the: American Government, would go more into details. A slight ray of hope is admitted in the fact that both Mr. and Mrs. Conger are known to have been on very friendly terms with the Empress Doweger, but the universal opinion here is that if the dispatch is genuine the date of its alleged filing is falsified. : The bare possibility that the news of the massacre was premature, however, has had its effect, and the Government has issued a semi-official disclaimer of responsibility for the proposed memorial service in St. Paul's Cathedral, while the newspapers are calling for the postponement of the service until all doubts are set at rest. EUROPE CONFRONTED BY A TERRIBLE TASK. The Spectator says: “It matters nothing whether the Empress Dowager or Prince Tuan is the reigning monarch. Both are devoted to the extirpation of foreigners, and not one of the Viceroys will dare oppose the anti-foreign policy. The plot has covered the whole empire. The men who have dared to order a Russian city upon Russian ground to be stormed will dare any- thing. Within a month the Viceroys of the coast towns will have thrown off the mask, and the only safe place for the Europeans will be on shipboard. Eurgpe has a terrible task, in which hurry is out of place. Who would have dreamed six months ago that for ten thousand regulars to take Tientsin would be a difficult and glorious task?” The Daily Telegraph, in an editorial congratulating the Washington Government upon its eénergy, says: “Unless the powers are capable of responding immediately to Mr. Hay’s appeal by ordering their united fcrces to face and risk all for an imme- diate advance, the days not only of old chivalry but of modern humanity are dead together.” DECLARES THE LEGATIONS ARE SAFE. Sir Halliday Macartney, counselor and English secretary to the Chinese legation in London, who was interviewed yester- day, admitted that the legation was in receipt of news which it was not able to disclose. He added: “You may take it that on July 18, the date of the Conger message, all the legations and Europeans in Peking were safe. I cannot say why the other Ministers are not able to communicate with their governments, but there is no reason why they should not use the same channel as Mr.Conger has employed.” babedebebebebe@ - e A R R R 0 | @O ¢S04 0009000000000 000000000000000 4060000000660+ ® bedereas CHECKING THE AMBITIONS OF EUROPEAN NATIONS LONDON, July 20.—Dispatches from Yokohama announce that another division of Japanese troops is embarking for China, accompanied by a siege train for the reduction of Peking. - The Shanghai correspondent of the Daily Mail asserts that Fmperor Kwang Su telegraphed to the Mikado an expres- 2 sion of regret for the murder of the Japanese Chancellor of Legation, Sugiyima Akira, and points out that the community of inter- ‘t ests between China and Japan in the East against the ambitions of the western powers should lead the Japanese Emperor to make +| common cause with China, and to assist in the restoration of peace. The Mikado, according to this correspondent, replied that : +| the action of the insurgents was in complete violation of international law, and that the murder of Baron von Ketteler was a griev- ¢ \' ous offense. The Mikado added that the Chinese Government should suppress the disorders and rescue the Ministers, thus dis- b | arming the hostility of Europe. His Majesty’s dispatch concluded thus: : ?; “Japan is cordially friendly and is only sending troops to rescue foreigners in Peking and to restore order. She has no - +| ulterior objects hostile to China, and, if proper measures are taken, she is prepared to use her influence to conserve the interests of § IN EARLY MAY AT PEKING. f the Celestial empire.” . 4 AN ASTERNOON SRR A ‘I The Shanghai correspondent of the Times says he learns on good authority that Li Hung Chang has undertaken to pro- D0-000+000 500050900000 00000 000000 ssstr ottt o c b i Dbttty , <}:3eed norl:h in orde: t(;lnegottate o: th;;e' ZOXZSXTC;]"S:HF“S;{ 'thattatconlc)nlxa:n;fiamtuie :;aedogt:;l f;)::\?al;}sx coS::;?:i:,sa:::;:c :he * oxers be energetica su ressed. rd, al € 1mselt 1s no (o] e €. Tres: nsi 'y v - $ THE CALL’S SUMMARY OF THE CHINESE NEWS. T The coiespon)(;entp;)dds: ; % b i “I'have been informed by a native official that the Viceroy of Nanking’s Yamen believes that a majority of the foreigners in ¢ RESIDENT HcKINLEY, Minister Wu and Washington officials generally stand alone in their < | Peking escaped destruction on July g, and that although a portion of General Nieh's troops jomned the Boxers at Tientsin, a large ¢ belief that the cipher dispatch signed “Conger,” which was received by Minister Wu yester- t| ymber followed General Nieh to Peking, where they have been successful in assisting Prince Ching and Yung Lu to protect the - day and conveved by him to ihe State Department, can be relied upon as describing the } legations.” & situation of foreigners in Peking on July 18. In official circles in London, Paris and other ?;.QHWQMM—*MM—@—WQMM*@+QM+Q 6006000000040 00+000000000 000t ebeteteQ - European sapitals complete skepiicism prevails. No doubt is expressed that the cipher dis- < | + patehis erup;ne. hut ti?e conclusion is drawn, chiefly from the intrinsic evidence in tht%;- 3 SWIMS A STREAM WITH WOUNDED COMRADE UNDER * patch itself, that it was written about the same date as the messages from Sir Robert Hart, 2) A HEAVY FIRE IN THE ENGAGEMENT AT TIENTSIN « which left the Chinese capital at the end of June. i' : b4 In the helief that the foreign envoys are’ still alive, but in grave danger, the Unl ed i Special Cable to The Call and New York Herald. Copyright, 1900, by the Herald Publishing Company. 4 States Goxernrrent is determined to do everything possible to hasten the advance of the inter- %1 . LE S 5 4 i anal foree to relieve Peking. Suggestions to this end were invited by the various govern- 6' CHEFU, July 18, via Shanghai, July 20.—The Americans engaged in Tier\tsfin on Friday and Saturday were the Ninth . ents. +| Infantry and 430 marines. The army casualties were 18 killed, 77 wounded and 2 missing. The marine casualties were 4 killed b4 Dispatches from St. Petershurg give details of fighting in the Amur district. A Chinese §| and 23 wounded. Major Regan was wounded in the leg; Captain Bookmiller in the leg, Captain Conly in the arm and Lieutenant < force of 7000 men was taken by surprise and 2000 killed. The attack on Russians a few ¢| Lang in the foot. Lieutenant Conrad carried Lieutenant Butler under a fierce flanking fire and was shot in the leg and arm. He . days ago was, it appears, made hy the Chinese commander on an order issued in the name 2 swam a ditch under fire, still carrying Butler. Lieutenant Conrad’s arm has been amputated. Colonel Liscum was shot in the ab- ; of the Emperor, which was forged by Prince Tuan. | domen and died in half an hour.. His last'words were, “Keep up the firing.” « Mr. Bryan has broken his siience on Chinese affairs. He holds the European powers o The Ninth Regiment and other Americans, with the Japanese, advanced against a flanking fire, but were forced to lie in : responsibie for the feeling of hostility toward foreigners in China, an imputation which proba- 2 |- thermudiall day, unable to help their wounded and compelled to drink canal water. They could not drive the foe or charge, or + bly will be resented. z do anything except fire a few rounds, f Fresh details of the losses suffered by our troops and marines at Tientsin are giv '?n I The American hospitals at Tientsin are crowded, and surgeons are needed. Colonel Liscum’s body was escorted to its ¢4 2 dispatch from one of The Call's correspondents. Colonel Liscum died a soldier’s deat | burial place by two batteries of the Ninth, 1" last words being: “Keep up the firing.” ¢ The Japanese were the heroes of the battle, fighting with remar bravery. They charged through the breach and a : _ fought the Chinese hand to hand, Their conduct after the battle was ood, Fifty guns were captured by the allies, tee {5 ! 2 £ ; : i ‘ & £ 3 i .